The 2023 USR Exhibition of Engaged Scholarship, North Taiwan, organized by the National Taiwan University System, was held at the National Taiwan University Sports Center on October 6-7. This event is a collaborative effort among National Taiwan University, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, National Taiwan Normal University, National Taiwan Ocean University, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, and our university. It features over 30 universities and colleges with nearly 70 booths showcasing distinctive university practices in social responsibility and sustainable operations for exhibition and exchange.

The opening ceremony took place on October 6, with the attendance of Chin-Wei Ko, Deputy Director of the Department of Technological and Vocational Education, Ministry of Education, Dr. Yuh-Lung Oliver Su, Director of the Center for University Social Responsibility, and several university presidents and vice presidents. During his speech, Ko mentioned that this year's USR project funding has reached a record high, demonstrating the unwavering commitment of universities and colleges in promoting their projects. Dr. Su emphasized that the event holds three significant meanings: firstly, it promotes the exchange of experiences between new and existing USR project teams, facilitating resource sharing and knowledge transfer through the exhibition of achievements; secondly, it is the first time the exhibition is organized in a regional format, covering the northern, central, and southern regions, enhancing the regional connection and network building for USR. Lastly, by inviting teachers and students from high schools and vocational schools to the joint exhibition, we aim to make university USR initiatives more accessible to them, connecting with the high school and vocational school competency education of the Curriculum Guidelines of 12 Year Basic Education. The goal is to nurture students to become more involved in community service, environmental issues, and sustainability topics at an earlier stage.

TKU Center for Sustainable Development and Social Innovation (SDSI), along with 5 USR projects, "Tamsui & North Coast Travel Experience" "Tamsui Good Life," "Agriculture, Food and Education," "Walking for the Elderly," and "Care for Tamsui Elderly," participated in the exhibition. They presented the content and results of their projects through carefully designed display boards, promotional materials, visual content, books, publications, and physical models. Interactive games, silk printing experiences, stamp collecting, and other activities are used to capture the attention of visitors. The Principal Investigator for "Tamsui & North Coast Travel Experience," Professor Chi-Lin Lee from History Department, gave a presentation on the topic of "Enhancing Culinary Culture: A Case Study of the Baozhong Righteous Feast." The "Agriculture, Food, and Education" project also arranged a "Herbal Stress Relief Bag Making" activity to help visitors better understand the project's essence through participation.

After the opening ceremony, Academic Vice President and SDSI Director, Dr. Hui-Huang Hsu, personally visited various exhibition booths, offering support and encouragement to the project teams. The participating teachers involved in the various projects, including Sinn-Cheng Lin from the "Tamsui & North Coast Travel Experience,” Rui-Mao Huang, Min-Fen Tu, and Yu-Pei Ma from the "Tamsui Good Life,” Han-Jen Niu, Tsong-Ru Tsai, Yen-Ling Lin, Po-Ching Lee, and Huey-Fang Ju from the "Agriculture, Food, and Education", Kuei-Shu Huang from the "Walking for the Elderly", and XingChen C.C. Lin from the "Care for Tamsui Elderly", also attended and provided relevant explanations, assisting the exhibition visitors in gaining a deeper understanding of the project content.

"What is USR?" "Tamkang University doesn't have an Agricultural Economics Department, how do you do agricultural education?" "I like drawing, how do you create the local picture books?" "Local history combined with food is fascinating, where can we experience it?" "It's so cool that this model was actually created by teachers and students from the Architecture Department in the community!" During the event, the booths not only attracted the attention of the visitors but also engaged them in interactions to help them understand the features and objectives of each project. This not only introduced a more diverse learning model at the university level but also expanded the perspective of high school students on USR and its connection to local communities.

SDGs #SDG03 Good Health and Well-Being #SDG04 Quality Education #SDG08 Decent Work and Economic Growth #SDG09 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure #SDG11 Sustainable Cities and Communities #SDG17 Partnerships for the Goals

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